Beautiful Sunrise
by Annie Hawkclaw
Summary: Challenge prompt: Would you like Millie if this had happened? One-shot, AU Final Battle, written before the Last Hope.


Challenge prompt: Would you like Millie if _this_ had happened? (One-shot)

This is an alternate final battle, written before the final book. Warning: character death.

I was challenged years ago to write a story to give a little love to Millie, whom I thinks gets a little too much hate and wasn't portrayed well in the final books. After deciding a few of my stories on the Official Warriors forums needed a more permanent home, I am reposting them here. Even though I don't write for the Warriors fandom anymore, a lot of the stories I wrote have special places in my heart.

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Sounds of battling cats raged around me. There had been almost no preparation before they attacked, and since then it had just been sounds of cats screeching and dying. The battle had started the night of the half moon, when all the medicine cats where away, but now it was almost dawn. Thankfully, the medicine cats had been able to get back fast once they found out a battle had started, but we had already suffered heavy casualties. It was the Dark Forest versus everyone else, and even Starclan had showed up to help. But somehow, the Dark Forest found a way to un-fade all the previous Dark Forest cats, so it was just about an even match. You couldn't tell who was winning, it was just the sounds of cats dying around you. Nothing else.

That was when I realized I had a major gash in my side. I didn't know how long it had been there, but in the moment I stopped, I just noticed it, and now it hurt. Badly. The pain was so bad I could hardly walk. I knew I should go see Jayfeather, or I would be sitting meat for the youngest Dark Forest trainee. I painfully dragged myself into the forest, where I was told that there would be medicine cats there to help us. Thankfully, no one else attacked me on the way out.

I must have taken a wrong turn, because when I thought I heard Tigerstar talking, I thought I had gone crazy. But there he was, not 15 fox lengths away from me, talking to a whole bunch of high level Dark Forest cats. I dived behind a bush, and by some lucky chance, he didn't hear me. I sat there gasping in the bush for a long time, thinking of ways to get out of here, when I heard the yowl. I was on my feet at that moment, watching the thing no mother should ever have to watch. My daughter was being dragged into the clearing against her will. Blossomfall. Her eyes were full of pain and worry and desperation, and worst of all, hopelessness. I froze, my mind filled with absolute dread. I froze. Tigerstar began to speak.

"So you decided to be a traitor after all, huh?" He snarled.

Blossomfall stood there, scared stiff. She managed to work up a bit of courage and reply "Why would I kill my own clanmates? I just came for training, but you just wanted to use us to help you! You want us to kill all my friends and kin? I should have realized it before, that you Dark Forest cats are there for a reason." She even managed to work up a snarl.

Tigerstar just laughed. "You are weak, and a traitor." I didn't even fully register the series of events until he raised his paw in the air, ready to deliver a killing blow.

I leaped out from behind my bush, running at full speed, not caring about the pain or all the Dark Forest cats that would surely kill me in a few moments. But I could care less. Nothing could stop me from reaching my daughter. I leaped towards Tigerstar with all my might, but it was too late. His paw had already came down and his claws had pierced her neck. She gasped in pain, lying on the forest floor, ready to die. It was too late. There was nothing I could do to save my daughter. I let out a ferocious yowl, so loud that a Lionclan warrior would have been proud, and landed on Tigerstar.

He turned towards me completely surprised, but I had already sunk my teeth into his throat, and his spirit faded in a few moments. The other Dark Forest cats just sat there for a moment, completely and utterly dumbfounded, before they leapt towards me. But I was filled with a fire of fury, and leaping from cat to cat, I managed to kill at least 5 before the others pinned me down. But I could care less. I had avenged my daughter's death. There was nothing else I could do. I looked over at her, lying peacefully on a nest of grass and flowers, and I knew we would be together soon. I turned my head to the sunrise. The first ray had just poked up over the horizon. It was truly beautiful. And as the cat who had me pinned down raised a paw to end it all, I finally felt peace too.

But the blow never came. As I watched that first ray of sun poke over the horizon, a dark figure leapt from over a rise, right over me, and into the group of attackers. More and more came, and the Dark Forest cats were outnumbered. They leapt so gracefully, like they were flying straight out of the sun, before slamming into a Dark Forest cat and going to battle. I would find out later that it was my yowl of fury that had alerted a passing group of Starclan cats going to battle.

In all but a few moments, there were no Dark Forest cats left here, just a few bodies of the trainees who had chosen to oppose the clans. The rest of the spirits had faded entirely.

For a few moments, I was full of joy, until I remembered what had happened. My daughter was dead. My happy smile had turned into a cry of complete despair as I crawled over to my daughter, Blossomfall. There was nothing I could do. But then, as if a gift from Starclan themselves, she opened her eyes ever so slightly. Only for a moment, but I got to see my daughter one more time alive. I knew there was nothing I could do to save her, but I could at least be with her while she died. I was able to nuzzle her by as she let out a final breathe, and she was gone. But her eyes had been full of pure joy when she saw me, and I knew she wasn't gone forever. I would see her again someday. Someday…

And now, as I sat beneath the cherry tree, watching the sun rise all the way up, I knew there was something I had to do.

I ran into the middle of the battle field. It had ended while I was gone, and Starclan had won, using the three's powers to bring back all of the faded Starclan cats and defeat the Dark Forest forever. No cat would ever fade again. But I could hardly hear the cheers and happy yowls, they seemed worlds away. I began searching for the cat I wanted to find.

I found him soon. A huge crowd had gathered around his body, mourning his death. Firestar must have lost his final life in the battle. Brambleclaw's body laid next to Firestar's, with Squirrelflight crying out with a heartbreaking sound. Thunderclan would be leaderless for a while, until Jayfeather could pick the next leader. But that seemed so distance. I stepped into the middle of the clearing, and cried out as loud as I can, with as much emotion as I could gather, "FIRESTAR!"

Some cats looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't care. I kept saying his name over and over again in my head. He had to be the one to do it, it couldn't wait a few days. I needed to honor her now.

When his spirit walked down from the stars, I wasn't really surprised. All the other Starclan cats were here also. Squirrelflight let out a yowl of pure joy that warmed my heart, but I kept my focus. I just needed a final favor. He finally reached the ground, and I ran up to him. He asked me why I had called his name, and I whispered my request into his ear. He nodded with a pleased look in his eyes, and began to speak.

"Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for she wishes to honor a fallen warrior. By my past authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on she will be known as Flowerheart, to honor the death of her daughter, Blossomfall."

I was Millie, and I will always remember my past life. But now I am Flowerheart. It is the only way I could ever honor enough the courage and happiness of my daughter, the blossom who lost her life to save many, who never will get the chance to bloom into a beautiful flower. And I couldn't save her. But now, as I see the sun fully risen and that another day has begun, I know life will go on. I will honor her death in every beautiful bud I see, in every beautiful sunrise that comes and goes. And someday, I will be with her again. Someday…

 _Someday…_

 _/_

Yeah, it's a bit cheesy, but I love this story still. Now answer in your review, did this make you like Millie even a little bit? Maybe? Please?


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